Thursday, April 26, 2007

Good morning.In the legislature you win some and you lose some. Last night we lost on AB 750 regarding the unfunded mandate imposed on future teachers by SB 1209/Scott. (see prior posts)We needed 6 votes to get out of the Education Committee. We got 5 votes. At a critical moment a critical assesmblyman left for another crisis. Without his vote, we lost.(There were only two negative votes). So, this effort in the legislature ends. Our long range effort has just begun. Our effort is to educate, agitate, and organize about these invalid assessments has just begun. Our opponents now know we exist. The CSU Chancellor’s office disappeared from the room rather than take questions.

If we return to the capitol in a future fight – as proposed- we need more allies. When CTA stood silent on our bill hurt us significantly. Legislators wanted to know why CTA was not with us.

Of particular significance was that Education Committee Chair, Gene Mullin was not with us. In an earlier bill he left the Chair to introduce CTA’s bill on mandatory Kindergarten. He introduced Barbara Kerr. All members were deferential to him and CTA. They had a near unanimous support.Then, in our case, he declined to vote. He assured the committee members that there was a “deal” and that the TPA’s would be funded. All of the Republican votes were against us from the start.

Also. If we return to the capitol. The legislature, both Republicans and Democrats are convinced that more assessments are necessary. When they say assessments, they mean TPA’s, not the broader definition of assessments. Of the few legislators who understand this issue, former CTC staff are well placed in their committees. Thus, they get a CTC view as normal, natural, uncontested.

We will now begin to develop our next steps. I refer you to the strategy section of the paper at:http://coefaculty.csus.edu/campd/index.html

This morning I feel like the day after having lost an election such as Prop. 209, or 227. But, as Cesar Chavez taught us, you lose and you lose, time after time, right up to the day when you win.